1. There Will Be Blood (2007)
I know it sounds like I might be over-praising There Will Be Blood a little, but I believe that this film is on par with the great American movies like Citizen Kane and The Godfather. The way that Paul Thomas Anderson deconstructed the American dream through the character of Daniel Plainview is something that only happens once a decade and There Will Be Blood is my vote for best movie of the aughts. there are many classic movies, like Bonnie and Clyde, Taxi Driver and Easy Rider, that use the guise of a character study to explore themes of greed, loneliness and the search for power to perfect extent. There Will Be Blood fully deserves a place on the list of the greatest American movies. Paul Thomas Anderson's story and direction are flawless from start to finish and exquisitely capture the nature of capitalism at the turn of the century. This movie feels like a film out of time in the way it's themes are universal and fully apply to the world at any moment. The battle between Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday is a brilliant allegory for the state of American politics and religion. Plainview's lust for greed and subsequent downfall mirrors the characters of Charles Foster Kane and Don Vito Corleone while bringing an entirely new element to American movies.
Thanks so much for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments.